Frozen
by secretmisery05
Summary: "S-Sasuke-kun…" she withheld her hands from reaching out and stroking his terrible, blood-filled face. Her hands were urgently needed elsewhere at the moment. But even at a glance, the girl could tell – he looked so much more peaceful with his eyes closed. But he was in pain – so much pain. And for a moment, Sakura almost had the heart to let him go. SasuSaku
1. Prologue

Trying out this new idea. Launching this chapter as a pilot to see what response it would get and if I should continue. Suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism are dearly welcome.

**Disclaimer: Naruto or any of its characters do not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sama who is doing an awesome job of handling them. :)**

* * *

**Frozen**

**-Prologue-**

Pink, wet strands clung to the young girl's face as sweat broke out of her pores. The torrent of rain was strong and hard but the sound and cold receded to nothing but a buzz that was hardly noticed in the back of her mind. In the dark storm, only a warm green glow offered shining light. And this was emitted from the trembling hands of the girl herself.

"No…" a shaky breath escaped her lips. "No…please…no…" It soon grew to a steady sob.

"Sakura," the young girl looked up in response and saw her trembling self reflected in the cerulean eyes laced with worry, concern, and grief of her very own best friend. Said best friend shook her head slowly, one hopeless message clearly conveyed, the green in her hands fading to nothing. There was nothing more they could do. Saltwater and rainwater mixed in one steady journey down creamy white cheeks as her own green, hopeful light flickered and faded for one despairing moment, only to burst out again with newfound fervor.

"DON'T! DON'T LEAVE!" Nobody had the heart to pull her away. A few meters away, somewhere in the fog, the girl knew her own mentor and her assistant knelt over another figure, working as hard as she did. Perhaps if they were here too- No. She was horrified the thought even entered her mind. If anyone had the right to live, she knew it was that boy they were working on. How could she afford to be selfish - after everything he'd done for her? But already, she could keenly feel the fatigue that crept up her skin from the wasted energy and effort she was pouring. What once was a faint but steady and agonizingly slow beat is now reduced to the occasional drum.

The girl was frantic. She could feel herself being pulled away by panic, logic slowly slipping away – or she was distancing herself from it. Either way, the girl knew that if she didn't do something now, she'd lose – whether it be to the weariness that spread through her body, the frustration that threatened to overcome her mind, the faces around her prevented from pulling her away by only a word that could be said at any second, or the wicked, cruel game of time itself.

Whatever it may be, Sakura knew she held the life of someone precious in her hands and she was racing against the unstoppable pace of time to keep it. "S-Sasuke-kun…" she withheld her hands from reaching out and stroking his terrible, blood-filled face. Her hands were urgently needed elsewhere at the moment. But even at a glance, the girl could tell – he looked so much more peaceful with his eyes closed. But he was in pain – so much pain. And for a moment, Sakura almost had the heart to let him go.

Her index fingers twitched and she slowly withdrew her right hand, her breathing close to hyperventilation now. She hardly even noticed the muddy earth her fingernails clawed, trying to keep the thought that he would soon be buried underneath the likes of such earth away. Empty, lifeless, hollow, and weary emerald green eyes lifted to the grey sky for some kind of answer – a solution, consolation maybe, or maybe just in search of something she could blame.

No. Hell would freeze over before she allowed death's clutches to take a hold of him and finalize his fate. Everything that meant something would go with him. And before it was too late, before his fate was sealed forever, she did the only thing her adrenaline-driven mind could come up with at a moment's notice. Strength renewed with a newfound purpose in mind, Sakura started pounding a different kind of chakra into his system. Chakra that would not heal him – but freeze him.

"Please…don't leave me." Her request was drowned in the storm.


	2. Chapter One

So...extreme apologies to the delay of this chapter. I ran into a few plotholes and laziness problems. :P

**Dedication: To realestboo and anonymous reviewer sarah, and to the first four followers of my baby story. :) You keep me going.**

**Disclaimer: Naruto or any of its characters do not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sama.**

* * *

**Frozen**

**/.../**

**/..Chapter One../**

Sunlight slipped through narrow cracks and softly touched the face of a young man. Said young man scrunched his closed eyes in annoyance as he slowly stirred to consciousness, one hand going up to shield his eyes from the light. It paused mid-journey as a strange sensation filled him of being in a foreign place – an environment his body did not recognize.

Quickly, he sat up, one hand instinctively reaching out for his Kusanagi blade. A light breeze flitted across the room and a shiver rippled through him. Only when the cold hit him did the man become aware of his unclothed state. His eyes slid down to the cot he was lying in. It resembled a coffin in shape and structure, being only slightly more narrow and smaller, yet retaining its soft and comfortable feel. It was a while before the feeling of surprise, confusion, and slight panic sluggishly crept in, yet even then his face was crafted into his mask.

A door behind him slid open and the man promptly fixed all his senses to that spot in suspicion, getting ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. His finger twitched unnoticeably as his mind reviewed all the taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu tricks he could use.

For a moment, there was no movement. Then slowly, cautiously, footsteps headed in his direction and in turn, the man turned to face the newcomer and stranger. The first thing he noticed was the first thing anyone would notice when faced with the girl – familiar cherry blossom pink strands and slightly confused emerald green eyes that accompanied that warm, slightly strained smile. It was one of the major indications as to her identity. What contradicted with this, however, were the lines around and on her face that he had never seen before – wrinkles that appeared only among the aged. She did not look very old, yet still she looked to be shockingly around the 30s. His scrutiny moved down to her body and actions and he took note of how leisurely her pace was. It was almost as if she had suddenly grown old in the short span of time he had been asleep.

Not remembering when he had fallen asleep, the man struggled to recall the last events his mind had been aware of and he could faintly recapture scenes of a fight – a rather large-scale fight with the blonde Jinchuuriki himself.

"Sasuke-kun," the girl, no, woman called out shakily as she moved to a halt facing him, her voice almost a croak. He watched her swallow with blank eyes. "How are you feeling?" Suddenly, he remembered his nakedness and how uncomfortably close the woman was. For a ridiculous moment, the silly apprehension entered his mind that she might suddenly jump him, causing him to tense and his eyes to narrow.

He made no response.

A small, pale hand reached out towards him and onyx eyes darted around the room to find a path of exit. Vaguely, he considered using brute force to burst out, but the thought of others seeing him naked stopped him.

"Shhh…" the same voiced soothed as the woman pressed her warm hand against his forehead, brushing back a few strands before tipping up his chin with one finger. He felt her eyes examine him as she moved her hand to his neck to feel for his heartbeat, her hand glowing green for a few moments. "You seem alright."

Through it all, Sasuke felt that she knew what she was doing, yet he couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling of her presence and collected demeanor. It was as though seeing him lying naked in a coffin was not bizarre at all. In an instant, his eyebrows had furrowed, his face scrunched up, and he had slapped her hand away with the back of his palm.

"Explain." he demanded gruffly, surprising himself with the strange foreign quality to his voice as though he had not heard or used it in a while. There were no greetings and no acknowledgment. It was just one query and a thousand ponderings versed together in a one-word demand. "Explain." he repeated, his voice remaining monotonous, bearing no hint to the turmoil inside.

"Sasuke-kun…" she paused, her voice attempting pacification as she dropped her hand to her side. Again, there was her irritating smile. Yet, Sasuke could see the fear and distress in her eyes. There was a moment of trepidation and foreboding before she dropped the bomb. "You've been asleep for five years." she offered, her voice a mere whisper that Sasuke could have easily deluded himself into thinking he had only imagined it if he wanted.

But he was not one to deceive himself and it was a fact that she _had_ stated that he'd been asleep for five years. And it was then that he decided that this was all one very strange dream indeed.


End file.
